


book lovers never go to bed alone

by flailinginlove



Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Hatake Kakashi, M/M, Modern AU, are meet-awkwards a thing?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23972320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flailinginlove/pseuds/flailinginlove
Summary: Kakashi goes to a bookstore's grand opening and picks up more than just a new book.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 52
Kudos: 373
Collections: Iruka's Birthday Shiritori 2020





	book lovers never go to bed alone

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Of Hidden Things and Sneaky Foxes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23799817) by [CappuccettoRosso](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CappuccettoRosso/pseuds/CappuccettoRosso). 



> My third and final ficlet for Iruka's Birthday Shiritori! This has been a lot of fun! Thank you so much to myka1231 and CappuccettoRosso for being on my team! ♥!

"Adventure," Kakashi muttered to himself, scanning the signs above the bookshelves. "Mystery. Western. Horror."

He turned left and found himself in an impressively sized Science Fiction and Fantasy section. A pair of overstuffed chairs sat in a cozy reading nook that served as a break between the speculative fiction and shelf after shelf of romance novels. He was getting closer. Grinning beneath his mask, he let his finely honed instincts guide the way.

Textual Healing was the brand new indie bookstore in town, and it was _massive_ , billed as a book lover's paradise. Kakashi planned on celebrating its grand opening the exact same way all grand openings should be celebrated. With an armful of smut.

He took a right past the regencies.

Angels sang.

Fireworks exploded.

He’d just come home.

_Three whole shelves_ of erotica.

He was as giddy as a schoolgirl with impeccable reading taste.

This occasion might call for _two_ armfuls.

"What a beautiful sight," he said with awed reverence, then let out a low whistle.

"I'm sorry?" a man said, straightening up from where he'd been bent over, rearranging the books on one of the lower shelves.

Kakashi hadn't noticed him, but now he couldn't look away.

The angels were singing again.

Three whole shelves of erotica had nothing on an ass like that.

The clerk turned around to face Kakashi, a bemused smile on his lips. _Iruka_ , his name tag read. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Books," Kakashi said, momentarily struck dumb. "I'm looking for books?"

Iruka took it in stride. "You've come to the right place! Anything in particular you'd like?"

_You_ was the first thing to come to mind, but he managed not to say it.

"Sex," he said instead.

Well. That was _so much_ worse.

Iruka blinked at him, then pressed his lips together like he was fighting back a grin.

"I mean books about sex," Kakashi rushed to say. Not that it was much better.

"Oh, I see," Iruka said. "The Self-Help and How-To books are near the front."

Kakashi wondered what the probability was of one of these bookshelves tipping over and crushing him. Likely very slim, they looked pretty sturdy.

"I was, uh, thinking less... informative? More..." Kakashi could only come up with inappropriate synonyms for _arousing_. 

_Stimulating._

_Titillating._

_Turn on... ing._

"Entertaining?" Iruka supplied. 

Ah, yes. That was a good, socially acceptable word. Kakashi nodded.

"Then you're definitely in the right place. I guess you don't need me after all."

Kakashi had strong objections to that assessment.

There had to be a good book-related pick up line here, he just couldn't get his mind to cooperate with his plan of being suave and charming. If only they were in a library, then he could ask if he needed a card to check Iruka out.

Maybe something about hardcovers and being happy to see him? But all the books on the shelves behind Iruka were softcovers.

"Well, I'll let you get on with your browsing," Iruka said, hesitating slightly before turning to leave.

Kakashi panicked. 

“Can I buy you a book?” he asked, then immediately wanted to kick himself. “I mean a drink? Or coffee? Or...”

Iruka turned back towards him, grinning. “I’d prefer the book. But I wouldn't say no to coffee. My shift ends at seven.”

"Sounds good," Kakashi said, more than a little stunned that had actually worked.

"But if you still want to buy me a book, how about you get me your favorite?" Iruka gestured towards the shelves behind him, cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. "See you at seven?" 

Kakashi nodded then watched Iruka walk away before he turned back to the shelves. 

This place really was paradise.

Smut, coffee, and a cute bookstore clerk?

What more could he ever want?

~*~*~

**Author's Note:**

> This one is super short, but the next fic you'll be getting from me will be _significantly_ longer. Like 80 times longer. And should be revealed in about two weeks. ;)
> 
> Also, my headcanon for this is that Iruka is secretly the owner but likes to work as a clerk whenever the store busy.
> 
> Thank you for reading! ♥

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [What more could he ever want](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24147268) by [myka1231](https://archiveofourown.org/users/myka1231/pseuds/myka1231)




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